8 water garden tips

The great thing about water gardens is they are obtainable. With the right planning, you can create an escape that will add a whole new dimension to your backyard. Here's how to do it.

Pages in this Story:

• Choose the right spot

• Develop a design with variety

• Control algae and try a bog

• Use fish, a waterfall and maintain

Choose the right spot

Claude Monet's paintings of his water garden at Giverny show a Japanese bridge gently arching over a pond full of water lilies, all surrounded by lush trees. Doesn't that sound pleasant? The great thing about water gardens is they are obtainable. With the right planning, you can create an escape that will add a whole new dimension to your backyard. Here's how to do it.

1. Choose the right spot
"It's best to place the water garden in a spot that gets at least five hours of sunlight each day," says Doug Jimerson, garden editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Jimerson created a water garden of Monet proportions on his acreage. "You should avoid low spots or areas in your yard that accumulate runoff. So look for a level spot. And don't put a pond under a tree."